


Not-So-Super Hero

by KingCheezit



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff, M/M, Rating May Change, RusAme, first time writing so yea..., minor Denmark/Norway, mostly fluff with al and ivan, other side characters - Freeform, super powers, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-05 14:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingCheezit/pseuds/KingCheezit
Summary: Ivan has worked for years to make a new life for himself in the grand city of Atlantica. A dedicated member of the Hero’s Guild, he has given his life to protect the people of the city from petty criminals to mafia masterminds from years now. But when his past comes back to haunt him, he might just need to make some new friends to keep the city from destruction. But will it be enough to protect his loved ones?





	1. A Day Over The City

Ivan looked out over the bright city from the top of the skyscraper. Thunder rolled in the distance as clouds hung overhead, though no rain has fallen yet. His dark blue cloak kept the chilling wind off of him as he surveyed the city below. Adjusting the hood on his scarf, he heard a small beeping coming from the device in his ear. A quick press of a button and the voice of his co-worker, Firefox, came through the speaker.

“Any sign of the Banksy Brothers, Winter?” came the feminine voice through the speaker.

“Unfortunately not,” Ivan replied, stepping towards the edge of the roof before lightly lifting off the ground and taking off into the overcast sky, wind blowing in his face and chilling his features.

“They must have disappeared into one of their many tunnels with their loot,” he mused.

A small sigh of exasperation came through the earbud, “I guess so. Those bloody twins are too damn sneaky,” she said tiredly.

Ivan gave a small hum of agreement. “I think I will head back home now. We will find them another day, Firefox.”

“Alright,” she sighed. “I’ll call back the others. They didn’t see any sign of them either. But,” she said firmly.”I want you to come back to the tower to check for injuries.”

Ivan frowned at this statement before replying. “Nyet, I am fine.”

“It’s not a suggestion, Winter” the women stated with a hint of amusement. “I know you were caught in the blast the Brothers created in their little heist escape. I’ll patch you up real quick then you can be on your merry way, alright?”

“Fine, I am on my way,” he replied with a grunt of annoyance before changing his course to the Watch Tower. Ivan and Firefox, along with a few others, were part an elite team of gifted people. People with special skills and training that protected the city and country from villains with equally special powers that would cause harm to the average citizens. The Watch Tower, located in a large hill overlooking the city, was the main headquarters for the team of heroes, known as the Guardian’s Guild by the townspeople.

Ivan, aka General Winter, landed at the hidden entrance to the Towers. The large rocks in front of him split apart upon his landing, allowing him inside the base. The doors behind him closed as he walked down the polished white hallway. He arrived in the main room shortly. At the grand, elaborate computer at the front of the room sat Firefox, who looked up when Ivan walked in. The lower part of her face was covered by a red Japanese fox mask that left only her green eyes and auburn bangs uncovered. A lime green ribbon tied back the rest of her hair.

“There you are,” she said walking over to him.”I was beginning to think you had run off without your checkup,” she joked, a small giggle escaping her.

“I did not want to go through the hassle of having you hunt me down.” Ivan pulled up a chair next to the table where Firefox was now standing.

Firefox let out a laugh at his statement. “Good choice.” She chuckled, lifting her hands and moving them toward Ivan’s arms. As she moved, her hands began to glow a dull orange light, emitting a warm but comforting heat from them as she ran her hands up his arms. Ivan relaxed at the soothing feeling of Firefox’s healing. The warmth seemed to seep down into his bones and core as she ghosted over his chest. He could feel the small burns and scratches healing when the glow passed over them. Ivan shivered from the loss of heat once Firefox was done and moved away.

“You had a few bruises and scratches as well as a small crack in one of your ribs, but nothing too major.” She stood and walked back to the monitor, dismissing him with a flick of her wrist. “You’re all good to go now. See you later, General.”

Ivan rose from his seat and smoothed out his midnight blue cloak before walking back out into the night. A light drizzle set in as he took off towards home. The rain didn’t bother him though.

A little sprinkling was hardly anything for someone who could control the weather. A soft clap of thunder sounded as he landed on the edge of an open window in the secluded dark alley behind his apartment. He quietly slipped in through the window, closing and locking it as he pulled off the cloak covering his body. He hung the article of clothing on its mannequin in the corner of the small dark room.

Aside from the mannequin, the room only had a wooden desk with a laptop and random papers on it. There was no door to the room. The only entrance was the window and a big square indent in the wall that was covered on the other side by a large bookshelf. Ivan quietly pushed on the bookshelf, making no noise as it swung out on well oiled hinges. He was the only one in the house as of right now.

His roommate and boyfriend of 3 years, Alfred, was at work at the local casino. He mostly worked as a waiter though occasional he would fill in as a card dealer if needed. However, he only worked the casino on weekends. He also had a day job working a cash register at a small cafe.

Ivan looked over at the nightstand by the bed when he walked into their shared bedroom. The clock on the stand glowed 9:28 pm. Alfred would not be home until around midnight. Ivan walked over to his dresser to retrieve some clothes to take a shower, stepping over Alfred’s clothes that had been left on the floor. He entered the connecting bathroom and turned on the shower. Stripping down, he looked over himself in the mirror, checking for any lingering injuries. The bruises and cuts where gone, the only thing marring his muscular body were the few scars that had been there for ages now. Looks like Firefox did a good job.

As he was in the shower, Ivan contemplated the day’s events. The Banksy Brothers had blown a hole in the vault to a large bank, stealing a large sum of money. Ivan and two other Guardians, a burley man called Tremor and a swift lady codenamed Gazelle, where sent out in response to a distress call. They had nearly had them caught but the twins had rigged a chain of explosives that Ivan got caught in that caused enough of a distraction for them to slip away.

Ivan rubbed the side that had been caught in the explosions as he recalled the memory. He stepped out of the shower and put on his pajamas before walking back into the bedroom and settling into bed, awaiting his roommate but soon falling asleep.

 

**OoOoOoO**

 

Soft footsteps and the rustling of sheets brought Ivan out of his deep sleep. Glancing over at the nightstand clock, he saw the time glowing 1:43 a.m. He felt the bed sink in slightly as Alfred climbed under the covers with him.

“You’re later than usual, Fredka,” he mumbled, rolling over to face him.

The younger man looked at Ivan, slightly startled. “Christ, I thought you were asleep,” he said as he settled back down against the bed. He shifted slightly closer, putting his hand over Ivan’s. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s fine,” he muttered, “but why are you back so late?” Alfred was usually never out this long, even on busy nights. “Is everything alright?” he fretted, a slight frown graced his features.

Alfred shook his golden blond head while smiling softly at him. “No, no, no. Everything's fine,” he said. “I just had to fill in for the Black Jack dealer. Hehe, he had to go home a little early. Had a bit too much to drink.” 

Ivan’s frown relaxed a little at his explanation. Alfred reached out his hand, threadinghis fingers through platinum colored hair before leaning in and leaving a chaste kiss on his forehead. 

“You worry too much, big guy.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” he replied, taking the hand from his hair and leaving a kiss on the back of it.

Alfred rolled his blue eyes playfully at the action. “As much as you worry, it might be,” he stated. 

“As much trouble that you get in,” he shot back, “I should worry more.” 

Alfred snuggled in closer while Ivan wrapped his arms around him. “Eh, you can worry more in the morning. I’m tired right now.”

A light chuckle escaped the larger man. “Alright. Goodnight, Alfred.”

“Goodnight, Ivan."

As he drifted off, Ivan hugged him closer. Though Alfred may not know it, he had every reason to worry about him. There were dangerous people in his line of work that would jump at the chance to get an advantage over him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t let Alfred go. He was too selfish for that. 

Eventually, sleep found him once again.


	2. Morning After

 

Sunlight was streaming in through the windows into the bedroom when Ivan woke up. He blinked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the soft light in the room. He shifted, feeling a warm weight around his torso. When the weight around his midsection moved, he looked down to see Alfred with his head lying on the Russian man’s chest and his arms wrapped around his middle. A soft little hum sounded from the younger man as he snored peacefully 

The platinum blond disentangled himself from his partner, moving slowly so he wouldn't wake him. He stood and stretched, then headed into the kitchen. Turning on the TV, he began making coffee for himself and Alfred when he woke up. He would probably not be long, the cheery blond was surprisingly not a late sleeper. 

The news station droned on in the background as Ivan poured himself a cup of coffee. 

_“In recent events, the Banksy Brothers have once again brought terror to Atlantica in their latest heist. Yesterday evening, the Brothers broke in a bank in the downtown area and stole over 25,000 U.S. dollars.”_

_Three members of the Guardian Guild arrived on the scene shortly. However, during their escape, the two criminals set off a chain of explosions. Witnesses say that one of the Guardians, the noble General Winter, was caught in the explosion. Lucky he seemed to be relatively unharmed, and no civilians were injured in the events.”_

Ivan glanced over at the TV, listening bitterly as he remembered yesterday’s events. He took a long sip of coffee to soothe his nerves, before beginning making breakfast. He pulled the milk carton out of the fridge as well as a few eggs. It was Sunday so he thought pancakes would make a special treat. He started mixing in the milk and eggs with the pancake mix, letting the news cast drift into back into the background. 

He stopped mixing when he felt arms wrap around his waist and a warm breath on his back. He looked over his shoulder to see a blond head pressed against his back. “Good morning, Alfred.”

Alfred glanced up at him with a smile and replied, “Morning.” He pulled away slowly to pour himself a cup of coffee.

Ivan turned back to the pancake mix, pouring it into the pan on the stove top. “I thought you might sleep a bit longer. You were home rather late last night.”

“Eh, I couldn't go back to sleep after you got outta bed,” he said, taking a big swig of his coffee.

Ivan glanced over at him after putting the pancakes on a plate. “Sorry. I did not mean to wake you,” he said apologetically, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

“Don’t mention it, sweetheart,” Alfred responded, flashing Ivan that movie star grin of his. He took a seat beside Ivan at the bar and added pancakes on his own plate. 

“Damn, busy night in the city last night,” he stated suddenly.

Ivan glanced at his roommate in confusion before peering over at the TV once again.

_“Other events took place last night in a wealthy neighborhood over in Tren district. Around 11 o’clock last night, there was a break in at the mansion of the wealthy Trost household. The business man, Mr. Trost, said that he saw what looked a shadow man moving through his house.”_  

Amethyst eyes watched the news woman in silent shock. No call had been sent out last night. Not after the Banksy bank heist. There wasn’t even a call on the police radio, not that he had heard.

_“The rich hotel owner claims that the thief grab a few pieces of jewelry and the money out of his and his wife’s wallet, then ‘seemingly melted into the shadows on the walls’ as Mr. Trost put it. Civilians are claiming this is the work of the Shadow Dog, the city’s favorite anti-hero.”_

As the news changed to a different topic, Ivan was left to contemplate this new information. The Shadow Dog was a curious man. Hell, many questioned if he was even a he in the first place.  Not much was really known about him and the extent of his powers. The Guardian’s Guild had him  investigated as much as they could, what with him being a super and all. The Shadow Dog had the ability to enter shadows as if they were a doorway to another room. Once in the shadows he could use them to move around the city quickly, using them to disappear into thin air, and even go through walls or climb vertical buildings. Apparently, he was a fairly decent street fighter as well.

Though, he wasn't much of a villain. He never killed or caused mass destruction like the other menaces of the city. In fact, the lower class people looked at him almost like a vigilante of sorts. It was not uncommon for him to be found beating up muggers or seen fighting off street gangs. Ivan had once heard he had gone into a burning building and bringing out more than a few people (though that was merely a rumor. Whether or not it was true was another matter). He picked up those that were too weak and put down those that were too powerful.

He was, however, not a hero. Well, not completely anyway. The robbery on the news was proof of that. The Dog was still a criminal in the eyes of the law and a terror to wealthy, arrogant businessmen and women. He wasn't above stealing to get what he wanted. Though, if the Shadow Dog has robbed someone, you can be sure the local homeless shelter would not be going hungry that week.

Once the pancakes were all gone, Alfred stood and placed the dishes in the sink to be washed later. Ivan quietly sipped at the rest of his coffee while watching the weather report onscreen. Looks like all the rain had passed for the week. 

“Do we have anymore milk?” Alfred asked suddenly.

The Russian looked at him curiously, having been brought out of his trance. “No, I used the last of it to make breakfast,” he replied. ”We’ll have to go to the store later for groceries.” He let out a soft sigh. He was hoping to stay inside today. Even with Firefox’s healing, he was still very sore from yesterday.

Alfred must’ve pick up on Ivan’s tired attitude. “I’ll go to the store,” he offered. “No need for you to get out and drive us there. Besides,” he added with a grin, “I imagine it was pretty hectic for you yesterday, right?” He turned a grabbed a notepad and a pencil. As far as Alfred was concerned, Ivan was a journalist who worked for a minor newspaper business. And in Ivan’s opinion, that’s all he needed to know about his work life.

The blond finished his list and headed for the door. “Be back in a bit,” he said.

Ivan gave a small hum of acknowledgement and thanked Alfred as he headed out the door, motorcycle keys in hand. At first he was a little skeptical about his Alfred driving a motorcycle, but it was the only vehicle they had. If there was anywhere Ivan needed to go, he could just walk—or fly. 

Finishing his coffee, he walked over into the connecting living room, taking a seat in the large recliner next to the couch. Flipping through the channels, he let himself relax into the chair, enjoying the small bit of peace and quiet.

That is until a harsh buzzing noise from the kitchen interrupted said peace. Purple eyes glared menacingly over the recliner at the buzzing phone. Exasperated, the large man got out of his comfy seat and picked up the ringing phone. 

“ _Privyet_?”

“General Winter? It’s Firefox. The Banksy Brothers have been spotted. We need you ASAP.”

Ivan let out a tired sigh before replying, dropping his voice so it sounded gruffer than normal. “ _Da_ , I will be there shortly,” he stated before hanging up. Looks like he wasn't going to get the day off today after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Ok so im working on the next chapter rn, but unfortunately school has just started and ive been absolutely SWAMPED with homework, football games, life events, ect. I'll update whenever i can and as often as i can but that might not be as often as i would like. Hopefully i'll be able to get back on track once everything starts to cool down at school. Until then, See y'all later!!!


	3. Into The City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing new characters, see if you can figure out who they are  
> Non-english words are in italics, as are conversations that arent face to face and thoughts

Wind whistled in Ivan’s ears as he soared above the town. His face scarf blocked some of the wind but his eyes still watered slightly. The hill where the base was hidden appeared on the horizon. Using his powers, he let the air carry him to the ground outside the entrance before heading inside. 

The long white hall he had seen some many times before echoed with his footsteps. In the main room sat Firefox at the main computer along with two others. Sitting next to her was Heimdall, a shorter pale man dressed in dark purple robes. A small little curl floated out at the base of his neck while a cross pin held back the rest of his silvery hair. Heimdall had been with the Guild almost as long as Winter had. His powers allowed him to see almost anything that happened above ground in the city.

The other blond man, Eros, leaned casually on the large mahogany table. A dark blue hunting bow was slung over his shoulder with a quiver full of arrows at his hip. A matching sapphire tunic with white sleeves and darker blue pants covered the rest of his body.

He turned around when he heard Ivan enter the room, his sea blue eyes sparking under his blue and white domino mask. 

“Ah, _bonjour_ Winter,” Eros greeted with a small smile, “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

“My apologies,” he replied, nodding his head in greeting. “I was in the middle of something when you called.”

He had written a quick note for Alfred in case he got back before Ivan did, simply saying he got called into work last minute, and he would be home little late.

“Well, it’ll have to wait for now,” said Firefox, glancing back at Winter and Eros with rich green eyes. “We’ve got a bit of a situation.”

The two men walked closer to the screens, most of which showed security cam footage. The cameras all seemed to show the same area, which happened to be a dark alleyway and a small section of the sidewalk.

“We caught this on one of the cameras in the downtown area,” Heimdall spoke, pointing at one of the monitors with a purple-gloved hand. The footage showed two men with the same height and clothing walking hurriedly down the sidewalk, shoving pedestrians out of the way before taking off into the alley way at full speed. 

“Well, they sure seem to be in hurry,” Eros commented sarcastically. 

“You’d be moving too if you had just robbed a bank,” said Firefox, before pointing at another screen, “Look at this.” The camera showed the two men at a different angle, right as they were turning into the alleyway. A large curl stuck out the side of both of the men’s heads. 

Ivan’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“How many people do you know with curls like that?” she said, “It’s the damn Banksy twins!”

“Where are they going?” Eros asked, gesturing vaguely, “That alley is just a dead end, non?”

“We found there’s an old manhole there that leads to an abandoned underground tunnel system,” Heimdall answered, “That’s how the Brothers have been disappearing.”

“If that’s the case,” Winter interjected, “then they must be long gone by now.”

“Oh, they are,” Firefox stated, “in fact, they’ve been gone for hours now. This was recorded around eight thirty this morning.”

The platinum blond gave the green-eyed woman a deadpan look, not believing what he was hearing.

“If we don’t know where they are, then what the hell are we doing here?,” Winter demanded, glowering slightly. _To think, I could be at home relaxing right now,_ he thought.

The Belgian woman huffed at the taller man’s tone, sending him a glare of her own. “They’re gone from the alleyway, _but_ we’ve tracked them through most of the tunnels,” she told him, indignantly.

“That’s enough, you two,” Heimdall scolded, emotionless as ever, “We need to find the Brothers before they get away again. We can only track them in the tunnels so far. We need you two,” he said, looking at Eros and Winter, “to catch them before they slip away again.”

“Not to be lazy or anything,” Eros interrupted, “but can’t we just send the police after them? They can catch the Banksy Brothers just fine if they know where to look.”

“You just don’t wanna get your clothes dirty, Eros,” Firefox teased, shooting the Frenchman a mischievous glance.

“As a matter of fact, I don’t,” he stated melodramatically, “I would rather not spend my Sunday running around an old sewer.” He crossed his arms and turned his nose up, clearly showing his disdain. 

Winter chuckled softly at the display. _Over dramatic as usual._

“Well, that’s too bad,” Heimdall stated apathetically, “We can’t risk informing the cops. The Brothers are most likely tapped into the police lines.”

“If they overhear the plans, they’ll be gone long before the cops even step out the door,” Winter concluded.

Eros sighed loudly with a heavy pout on his half-hidden face. 

“Oh, quit whining, you’ll live,” said Firefox. “Head to the southeastern part of the city, near Opry Mall. There’s another entrance nearby. It’ll take you closer to the Brothers’ current location.”

“We can direct you to the tunnel entrance and the Brothers’ general direction,” Heimdall stated, “but once you get in the tunnels, communications will be down.”

Firefox turned in her chair, handing Eros a small screen about the size of a phone. “This has a map of the tunnels on it.”

Winter looked at the screen over Eros’s shoulder. The map looked more like a maze, with random dead ends and crisscrossed pathways. A small red dot blinked through the marked passageways. 

“That red dot there is where we think the Brothers are. When you get in the tunnel, you guys will show up as a blue dot. You’ll be entering somewhere around here,” she said, pointing around the lower right corner of the screen. “Hurry up and fly out there, we can’t track them forever.” She glanced at Eros before adding, “Unless you’d rather walk there. Wouldn’t want to get any bugs in your hair.”

“Haha, very funny,” he said, before making his way to the door. Winter smiled behind his scarf, and followed after the Frenchman.

**OoOoOoO**

They arrived at the tunnel entrance which was hidden in a secluded area behind the mall. After making sure the cost was clear, Winter pulled the manhole cover off the entrance. He stood there expectantly, waiting for Eros to climb in first. The blue-eyed man just stood there, a disgusted grimace etched on his face.

“Come now, we haven’t got all day,” the Russian said. Eros simply thinned before reluctantly climbing the latter into the tunnel. Winter climbed down after him, and pulled the manhole cover back over the opening.

“I can’t see anything!” Eros complained loudly. 

“Hold on a second.”

Winter pulled a flashlight out from his cloak and flicked it on, filling the tunnel with light. The tunnel was round and made of old brick. Moss covered most of the walls and a small stream of water covered the floor. The passage was rather small, just big enough for the two of them to walk side by side. Winter could easily reach up and touch the ceiling. Ahead of them, the tunnel forked into two separate paths.

“Which way?” he asked Eros.

Eros gave a small “oh” before pulling out the map. “Uh, left,” he replied pointing in that direction. 

Ivan nodded, and turned to go left.

“Oh, no wait,” Eros exclaimed, turning the device around, “I had it upside down. I meant right,” he said sheepishly.

Winter simply scoffed, before changing direction to head down the right passage instead. 

They continued down the tunnel, stopping to look at the map whenever they came to a crossroad, for what seemed like an hour.

“How much longer?” Winter asked, growing tired. Eros pulled the map back up to see how close they were. As he looked at the map, he suddenly stopped, staring at the map in blatant confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Eros stated, shaking his head, “It says we’re right next to them.” 

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard splashing in the water on the ground. Winter whipped his head back and forth, looking for the source, while Eros retrieved his bow and knocked an arrow. The footsteps grew quicker, coming from directly behind the Russian and getting louder. Winter turned just in time to evade the swing of a baseball bat. He spun around, barely keeping his footing, before sending a great blast of air at the person swinging the bat, sending them flying down the tunnel.

“ _Fratello!”_ a voice shouted. Winter turned to see Eros grappling with another man who was trying desperately to take his bow. The smaller man swiftly kneed Eros in the stomach, incapacitating him, and bolted down the hall after his brother. 

Winter quickly ran over to Eros and helped him up, yelling a rushed “Come on!” before sprinting down the tunnel after the two men. It was difficult to see as Winter had dropped the flashlight in favor of dodging the attacker. The light from the map screen was the only thing illuminating the tunnel as they chased the two men. 

They could no longer see the two men, they were too far ahead of them. The only sign that they were still in front of them was the splash of their footsteps echoing throughout the tunnel. Ivan panted heavily as he sprinted down the tunnel next to Eros. He was staring at the screen, using it to guide them.

All of a sudden, light filled the tunnel up ahead. 

“There they are!” Eros exclaimed, pointing at the two men who were now visible. They were climbing a ladder that led to another tunnel entrance. 

“ _Cazzo!_ ” one of the Italians cursed, quickly climbing out of the tunnel and into the light above.

The two heroes put on an extra burst of speed, making it to the ladder just as the brothers climbed out. Winter squinted against the bright sunlight as he climbed out of the tunnels right behind Eros. They had come out of the tunnel in the middle of the sidewalk.

Loud gunshots were heard nearby, sending pedestrians running. Winter turned in the direction of the shots to see the Banksy brothers running through the crowd, shoving people out of their way as they went. 

“Winter, you take the sky,” Eros ordered, “don’t lose them. I’ll follow on foot.” He took off after the two, not waiting for his reply. The weather mage shot into the sky, then followed after the criminals.

“ _Winter? Winter are you there?”_

Ivan recognized Heimdall’s voice through the ear piece. “I’m here.”

“ _Have you located the brothers yet?”_

“We pursuing them right now,” he responded.

“ _Where are you?”_ Heimdall asked.

Winter glance around at his surroundings. “We’re near the southwestern part of town, near the beach. The Banksy Brothers are heading down Blackwell street towards the docks,” he responded.

_“Alright. We’ll send the police force to cut off their escape,”_ he said before ending the call.

Just as he hung up, Winter saw the brothers split up. He let out a string of curses before calling Eros and informing him. The Frenchman went after the younger brother, while Ivan sped after the older, stooping lower to the ground, so he wouldn’t lose him. 

The brunet cursed loudly and turned to fire a few shots at the Russian. Winter easily dodged the bullets, gaining on the Italian fast.

The Italian was practically in his hands when Winter was knocked right out of the sky. The Russian barely had time to brace himself, hitting the ground hard and rolling with whatever hit him. He shook his head trying to clear the dizziness, his hands holding him up as he looked to see what hit him. A few feet away from him laid another person. The stranger wore all leather with a motorcycle helmet concealing his face. He looked more like a shadow than a human. 

Winter was filled with shock and confusion, realizing who the stranger was. _What the fuck is the Shadow Dog doing here?_ he thought.  

The leather cladded man recovered faster than Winter did, standing and running straight towards him. The Russian braced himself for an attack—only to see the Shadow Dog jump straight over him.

The Dog dashed after the Banksy brother, running down the sidewalk like an Olympic sprinter. The brother pulled out his gun to fire a few warning shots towards him, trying to shake him.

The Russian scrambled to his feet before darting down the sidewalk after the two. He was too disoriented to risk flying. The brunet fired a few more bullets at the Shadow man. The Shadow Dog sidestepped the bullets, turning to run straight to a shadowed wall—and disappearing right into it, as if he stepped through a portal.

Banksy, too occupied trying to escape, didn’t even notice and simply continued running into an alleyway. Winter hesitated just slightly, wanting to go after the mysterious Shadow Dog, before deciding the Banksy brother was more important and bounding after him.

The Italian turned down alleyway after alleyway, trying to shake the Russian. Winter stayed just behind him, the throbbing in his head making it difficult to keep up. Finally, luck seem to turn in his favor as the brother made a wrong turn into a dead end. Winter slowed to a stop at the end of the alley, trapping the brunet.

“Give it up, Banksy. You’ve got nowhere to go now!” he shouted.

The man turned around slowly, putting his hands up in a surrender position. As he faced the taller man, a smirk grew on his face. “You haven’t won yet, hero,” he proclaimed slyly. 

Behind him, Winter heard the telltale click of a gun cocking. The younger brother had snuck up on him! Just before the gun shot echoed through the alley, Ivan saw a shadow move in the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to see the dark mass barrel into him, knocking him out of the line of fire. 

He hit the ground hard, his ears ringing as the sound of gunshots filled the air, along with shouting and footsteps. A pair of hands on his shoulders shook him slightly, and he was vaguely able to make out a muffled voice. He cracked open his eyes to see the Shadow Dog crouched over him, trying to shake him awake. The sight startled him awake as he sent a blast of air at the man, trying to throw him off. The Shadow man barely skirted the blast, before disappearing once again into the shadows on the walls. 

Head pounding, Winter reluctantly sat up and looked around, searching from the Banksy Brothers. Realizing they had run off while he was down, he threw caution to the wind and took off into the air. He scanned the roads and alleyways below him, trying to spot the criminals despite the pounding in his head.

Finally, Winter spotted them coming around the corner, with Eros hot on their heels.

Eros knocked an arrow with a flat box at the end, pulling it back and firing it at the brothers. The arrow curved around the corner just as the brothers did, hitting the shorter one in the center of his back. A bolt of electricity shot from the arrow, sending shock waves through the Italian and promptly knocking him to the ground. 

“FELI,” the other man cried at seeing his brother fall. “You fucking bastard!” he screamed, pulling his gun up and aiming it at the blond. 

Winter swooped down towards him from the sky like a bird of prey. He hit the smaller man full force, knocking him into the wall and knocking him out cold.

Ivan landed lightly on the ground, before falling to his knees clutching his head with one hand. After retrieving his arrow, Eros ran over to him. “Are you alright?” he questioned, worry written all over his face. 

“I’m fine,” Winter insisted through gritted teeth. His scarf and hood kept his pained expression hidden thankfully. Eros looked like he wanted to say more but was interrupted by a groan coming from behind him. The younger Italian had recovered slightly, shifting around on the ground trying to push himself up. Eros immediately darted over to him, aiming a hard kick to the head and effectively subduing him.

The Frenchman turned his attention back to Winter, who was now sat fully on the ground. “I’ll call Firefox and tell them we caught the brothers,” he said. 

Ivan simply nodded in acknowledgment, taking a moment to relax and take in his surroundings as his headache began to dissipate. They were on another backstreet that was bathed in sunlight. Winter didn’t hear any vehicles or people, so he couldn’t tell how close to the main road they were. He glanced over at the Banksy brothers to see Eros handcuffing the two to a pole.

“Are you sure you just wanna leave them here?” Winter asked, gesturing to the two unconscioustwins who Eros was hooking together. 

“They’ll be fine here,” the Frenchman stated, glancing back at the taller man. “Heimdall told the police force of our current location. They should be here before dark, and they will take care of things from there.” He left the key on a ledge a little ways away, visible but out of the brothers’ reach, and walked over to the Russian. He held out a hand for him, waiting expectantly. Winter gladly took it, thanking him as he pulled him up.

Winter still wasn’t satisfied. Sure, they had caught the Banksy Brothers, but he had let the Shadow Dog slip right past him. And no matter how hard he tried, he could not figure out why the mysterious man had _saved_ him. He was so caught up in his frustration and confusion, he didn’t even notice the cold air beginning to swirl around them.

A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts. Eros stared at him curiously, making Winter calm his brooding storm. The Frenchman smiled at him gently, patting him on the shoulder a few times before walking back down the alleyway. 

“You go ahead and head home, _mon amie_ ,” he said kindly, a content smile on his face. “I’ll head back to the base and give them the report.” 

Part of Winter wanted to argue with him and insist on giving his own report, but the slight headache and his overall sore body quickly changed his mind. Instead, he simply voiced his thanks.

“Take care, Eros,” he said with a wave, walking the opposite direction down the backstreet before disappearing around the corner.

 

**OoOoOoO**

 

Ivan strolled down the street to his apartment complex, now dress in his normal attire. His cloak was tucked away in his long beige coat, out of sight and out of mind. He meandered down the sidewalk, not in any rush to return home, enjoying the late fall air. It would be winter soon. 

Ivan smiled softly at the thought. Normally, he did not enjoy the season—he usually preferred spring—but he had come to enjoy it more since he found Alfred. Winter meant cold and that meant Alfred would curl up next to him in search of warmth. 

A loud siren broke Ivan out of his pleasant thoughts. He turned in time to see a cop car racing down the street, lights flashing. Remembering what Eros had told him earlier, he glanced at his watch. It had been about 45 minutes since they caught the brothers. 

_About time,_ he thought watching the car disappear up the street. Atlantica’s police department certainly wasn’t the best in the world. Though with a team of superheroes to guard the city, there wasn’t a critical need for a superior police force. 

Putting all thoughts of work away, the Russian continued on home. It was getting dark outside and the wind was becoming chilly.

Finally arriving at his apartment complex, Ivan lazily climbed the stairs to his floor. It was much warmer in the building with the walls blocking most of the wind. Eventually, he reached the third floor, rooting around in his pockets for his keys. 

Upon reaching his door, Ivan moved to unlock it only to find it already was. He frowned in confusion, crossing the threshold and glancing around the entrance. He took off his boots, and peered around the corner. The TV had been left on.

Alfred was fast asleep on the couch. Ivan rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it. Letting the honey-blond sleep, he tiptoed into their room, taking off his coat and putting his stuff away. Walking back into the living room, the platinum blond stopped by the couch. He had to hold back a laugh at the sight of Alfred sleeping. The American was sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging off the side and both arms above his head. He snored softly as he dozed, while his blanket covered only one leg. Ivan simply shook his head fondly and strolled quietly into the kitchen. He dug around in the cabinets and fridge, looking for something appetizing. Amethyst eyes slowly grew puzzled as he looked around. He turned his attention to the sleeping man on the couch, now regarding him with bewilderment. He moved in front of the couch, bending over slightly to lay a hand on the blue-eyed blond. 

“Alfred?” he said softly. 

No response. 

“Alfred,” he repeated, a little louder this time.

Another snore answered him. The tall blond let out a sigh.

“Alfred!” he roared. Alfred jumped at the loud noise, letting out a very manly squeak of surprise and throwing the blanket to the ground.

_That worked._

Alfred blinked up at him, rubbing his blue eyes. “Ivy,” he whined indignantly, “I wa’ sleepin.”

“I noticed,” Ivan stated unsympathetically. “I thought you were going to go to the store.”

“ ‘ts Sunday, small stores closed,” he groaned.

“Well, what about the Food Palace? The one downtown?” he huffed.

“Couldn’t get to store, roads were all blocked,” the blond mumbled sleepily.

“Really? That’s odd. What were they closed for?”

Alfred sat up and stretched his arms above his head, showing off some of his sun-kissed skin, finally somewhat awake. “The Hero’s Guild was out. Police had like, the entire downtown area blocked off.”

Ivan gave a small hum of acknowledgment, feigning ignorance. 

“Didn’t you see it, Vanya?” he asked curiously, giving the older a confused look, “You were looking for stuff for your report, right? I’m assuming that’s what kept you out so long.”

“Ahh, yes” he started, heading into the kitchen, “I was downtown. I was…getting more information about the Banksy robbery.” He grabbed a glass of water and walked back over to the couch, handing Alfred the glass. “I did not realize they had the roads blocked off so far,” he said. At least that much was true.

“Did you see anything cool?” Alfred asked curiously, thanking him for the glass.

“Hmm, no not really.” _Nothing that I don’t see every day_ , he added internally. “What about you?” he asked, taking a seat in the recliner.

“Yeah, actually. I saw some of the Guild Members,” he said matter-of-factly.

Ivan looked at him in surprise. “Really? Are you sure?” he asked.

“Don’t know many other people who can fly,” he responded cheekily. 

The ashen blond simply rolled his eyes. “Well, who do you _think_ you saw?” he asked teasingly.

“I know who I saw,” he insisted irritably, “I saw General Winter. I know I did.” 

Ivan’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“Interesting,” he said genuinely. He didn’t remember spotting Alfred anywhere, but then again, he was rather preoccupied. “So you just saw him from the ground?” he inquired.

“Well yeah, he wasn’t flying very high, so he was pretty easy to spot,” he said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just a bird, or a plane?” Ivan asked innocently, a sly smirk on his face.

“I know what I saw, and it wasn’t a plane or anything,” Alfred squawked indignantly. He crossed his arms over his chest, puffing out his cheeks in a pout.

“I’m just teasing, _solnyshko._ No need to shout,” he said affectionately, laughing happily. The blond got riled up so easily, it was just too much fun. Ivan held out an arm, patting his lap lightly. “Come here.”

Alfred stood and strolled over to him, crawling into the chair and curling up in his lap. “Meanie,” he pouted.

Ivan chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling him close and snuggling him softly. Realizing just how tired he was, he finally allowed himself to relax, closing his lavender eyes. He could do with a nap of his own.

He was just about to fall asleep when he felt a hand poking him not-so-gently in the side.

“Ivan,” Alfred whispered (or at least what he thought was a whisper), “Ivan, are you awake?”

“I am now,” he rumbled, keeping his eyes shut. Alfred was quiet for a few minutes, before pipping up again. 

“Ivan.”

The Russian let out a heavy sigh. “Alfred, I’m very tired. What is it?”

“Oh, sorry…but..”

Ivan opened one eye to look at him.“But what?”

Alfred glanced up at him with puppy dog eyes. “I’m hungry.”

“Then you should have gone to the store,” he stated apathetically.

“Ivaaaaann,” he whined loudly, shaking Ivan’s arm. “I told you, I couldn’t go to the store,” he insisted, pouting heavily.

The ashen blond grimaced at the ruckus, grabbing a hold of the younger’s wrists and making him sit still. 

“Alright, alright,” he yielded, looking at the boy in his grasp. “How about this?” he said more kindly, now having the American’s full attention, “We’ll head uptown and get a bite to eat, then stop by the store on the way back. That sound good?”

The honey-blond nodded eagerly, his stubborn cowlick bouncing on his head. “Yeah that sounds good,” he replied enthusiastically, practically jumping out of the chair. He about half-way to the door when Ivan called out to him.

“Alfred, aren’t you forgetting something?” he said, amused at his eagerness. Alfred looked at him in confusion, before glancing down.

“Oh my pants,” he shouted before darting in the bedroom.

Ivan laughed lightly and made his way over to the door, waiting on the other blond before heading out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I am not dead. I'm so sorry this took so long, personal life's been crazy and i've been in a bit of a hole lately. I tried to make this chapter a bit longer. Hopefully this makes up for it a little bit. I might be able to update more often now, but no promises. I'll be sure to put it on my new year's revolutions :P. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed! Till next time.
> 
> Oh and for those of you who are curious, Ivan has weather manipulation, Eros has weak telekinesis (the most he can really affect is his arrows), Firefox(Begium) is a healer, Heimdall(norway) can see most any location or person he desires, and the Shadow Dog has a power known as Umbrakinesis.


	4. Bright Blonds and Darker Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes!! Finally back in business!!! This chapter is mostly fluff, but it does have some important backstory and character building. Also, I have realised that I am a dumbass and did not properly publish chapter 3.....yeah. Basically it ended up cutting off rather abruptly and didnt really make any sense. Im really sorry about that guys (man i feel like a dumbass) so i suggest you go back and reread at least the ending of ch 3 just so everything makes sense. Otherwise, i hope you enjoy!!

Once Alfred was properly dressed, they headed out of the apartment complex and onto the busy street. 

  
“Where do you want to eat?” Ivan asked. Alfred thought for a second, grabbing Ivan’s hand so they wouldn’t get separated by the crowd. 

  
“Hmm, how about Abuelo’s?” he suggested. 

  
“We had Mexican last week, Alfred,” he reminded him. 

  
“Abuelo’s isn’t Mexican, it’s Spanish,” he said. His smug face matched his tone. 

  
“Tomato potato,” the Russian said casually. 

  
Alfred snorted, before letting out a full-hearted laugh. Ivan gave him a confused look, happy as he was to hear him laugh. 

  
“What-“ Alfred laughed out, “What did you say?” He looked at Ivan with bright blue eyes and an equally bright smile. 

  
Ivan frowned for a second, before letting out a small ‘Ah’ of realization. He sighed, “I said it wrong, didn’t I?” 

  
“Oh, completely,” he stated cheerily. He gave Ivan a loving smile, which he gladly returned. 

  
“Figures.” 

  
“Don’t worry, I got your point,” he squeezed his hand affectionately, “No Mexican or Spanish tonight then.” 

  
“Or Italian, for that matter.” Ivan had dealt with enough Italians for one day. 

  
“Fine,” Alfred said. Ivan moved his arm to sling it over the blond’s shoulders while he thought of another place. 

  
“How ‘bout Tino’s House?” he offered. “We haven't been there in a while.” 

  
Ivan considered for a moment. “Tino’s sounds good. Let’s go there.” 

  
He felt Alfred nod next to him. “Uh, we might wanna hurry up then. Did you bring an umbrella?” he asked suddenly. Ivan saw him staring up at the sky out the corner of his eye, before looking up himself. It was dark and overcast, full of rain-heavy clouds. Ivan had thought it was a little dark outside, he just figured it was late. 

  
“I think we’ll be fine,” he stated, “it’s not supposed to rain until tonight.” One perk of being able to influence the weather. 

  
“Alright, but if it starts raining, I'm hiding in your coat,” he said very seriously. 

  
That got a giggle out of Ivan. “I’d have no problem with that.” 

  
“I didn’t think you would.” 

  
They glanced at each other and shared a little laugh, continuing the rest of their walk in comfortable silence. 

  
Tino’s House was a nice seafood restaurant a few blocks from the apartment. It was in one of those old shopping-centers that ran the length of a road and was almost unnoticeable, stuck in the middle of a wall like that. It was a cozy little place, and Ivan was quite fond of it. After all, it was the place of their first date. The food was good and the service was nice. What more could you ask for? 

  
The two arrived at the place within a few minutes. Ivan noticed it was rather quiet and calm outside, for a large city. Not many people in front of the restaurant or the shops. He glanced at his phone. It was still rather early in the afternoon, only about 5:00 p.m. At least we won’t have to wait for a table, he thought. 

  
A little bell rang as the opened the door and were greeted by the hostess. 

  
“Table for two?” she said sweetly. 

  
“Yes, please,” Alfred replied. She nodded politely and led them to a table, close to the bar at Alfred’s request. 

  
Ivan looked up at the low-lit chandeliers and blue walls with the ocean themed decorations he had seen a hundred times. Soft music in the background gave the restaurant a fine but cozy feel. They took their seats and waited for their server. A young woman with short blond hair came up to them and asked them what they wanted to drink. 

  
“Just a water for me,” Ivan stated. 

  
“And a coke for me,” said Alfred. 

  
She wrote down their orders and replied, “Alright, I’ll be right back with your drinks and some menus,” then headed towards the swing door no doubt leading to the kitchen. 

  
Ivan looked around the dinner, taking note of all the different people. There were a few other customers sitting in the booths and tables around them, and one couple at the bar. It had become a sort of pastime of sorts for him. Really it was just a habit born out of bad curiosity and paranoia. Being a, uh, journalist meant he was always paying attention to what was going on around him. 

  
Rather ironic that a Russian had become an American journalist. Ivan had moved to Atlantica, Alaska for the same reason most people did, to find a new life, a better one, and leave the old one behind. Something he was eager to do. At first, Ivan spoke English with dictionary precision. It took a long while to get used to all the slang and idioms. He always worried about proper grammar and pronunciation; he didn’t want to stand out as a foreigner. Perhaps that’s what got him the job; it certainly wasn't his friendly disposition. After all, why pay for an editor when Ivan triple checked everything anyway. After meeting Alfred however, he’s loosened up his vocabulary a little bit. He still hasn't quite grasped metaphors, evidently, but he’s getting there. Alfred had certainly changed a few things in Ivan’s life, and it seemed to be for the better. 

  
Alfred—that energetic, nosy ray of sunshine who always seemed to see the bright side no matter how dark it was. Ivan couldn’t help but wonder.  
_How the hell did he end up with someone like me?_

  
**_Click Click Click_**

  
“Helllooo, Earth to Ivan.” 

  
Ivan was thrown off his train of thought by a pair of fingers snapping in his face. He focused back into reality, and back on the subject of his daydreams in front of him. 

  
Alfred smiled, having now gotten the other’s attention. He laid down his hand, setting it on one of Ivan’s. “You alright there? You didn’t even move when she set down the menu.”  
Ivan looked down at the hand covering his and saw a black booklet with fancy writing on the cover sitting in front of him. 

  
“Ah, I’m fine,” he said and moved to grasp Alfred’s hand, rubbing it gently. “I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.” He rubbed his other hand down his face, trying to focus back on the present. 

  
“You been running around all day?” 

  
“Pretty much, yes.” Ivan gave a tired sigh. At least that much was true. “Mostly just asking people if they saw anything.” 

  
Alfred's eyes lit up a little and he began ranting off a stream of questions. “Did you see anything? Was there another robbery? Oh, was there another explosion?!” 

  
“Slow down there, _solnyshko_ ,” Ivan held up his hand for Alfred to stop. “One question at a time, please.” 

  
The honey blond stopped his barrage of questions, but he still looked ready to jump out of his seat, which made Ivan chuckle lightly. “Well, what did you hear? What happened?” he asked, more calmly this time. 

  
Thinking about his response, Ivan replied, “Apparently there was a big chase downtown, which is why the roads got closed. The Guild was running down the Banksy Brothers in the middle of the sidewalk, so they had to evacuate some people.” 

  
“What happened to the Brothers?” 

  
“I believe they have been arrested.” _Hopefully_ , Ivan thought. Eros wouldn’t have let them escape before the police arrived. But the Banksy Brothers have a habit of not staying in jail for very long. 

  
“That’s good,” Alfred stated, “Maybe things will calm down enough that you can actually spend some time with me.” 

  
Ivan smirked at him. “I am spending time with you right now, am I not?” He asked coyly. 

  
“Yes,” he stated matter-of-factly, “And I couldn’t be happier.” He flashed him a blinding smile before turning his attention to his menu. 

  
Drifting back into a comfortable silence, Ivan went back to observing the room, this time turning his gaze towards the entrance. There were two people at the counter, a rather tall and stocky blond man, and a smaller man with flowing black hair. The shorter man caught Ivan attention. He had a small frame but he stood tall and proud; it almost made up for his height. 

  
A frown formed on his face the longer he looked. The shorter man looked strikingly familiar, even though he wasn't facing him. He couldn't make out his appearance either; he seemed to blend into the shadows. But the familiarity was driving Ivan to the point of annoyance. Finally, when he couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer, he shifted to stand and get a closer black haired man. 

  
“Are you ready to order, sirs?” 

  
Ivan turned his attention to the young waitress now in front of him. Alfred smiled politely at her—Ivan thought he almost saw her blush—and addressed the woman. “Yeah, I know what I want,” he said kindly and turned to Ivan, “You know what you want, Ivy?” 

  
Ivan blinked a few times, trying to collect his thoughts. His mind was still on the familiar man. He managed to glance down at the menu and quickly picked something to tell the waitress.  
The waitress wrote down their orders and hurried off to the kitchen. Once she was gone, Ivan glanced back over to the front counter. However, there was now no one to be seen besides the hostess. 

  
Ivan frowned but tried to brush it off, turning back to the table. He took a sip of water as they waited for their food. They ate in relative silence, then casually chitchatted after they finished. Soon after, the waitress came back. 

  
She held a little black book and a sweet smile. “Would you gentlemen be having any dessert tonight?” 

  
“No, thank you,” Alfred replied, “I think we’re all full.” 

  
“Well, alright then,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll just leave this here,” she set down the little black checkbook on the table, “and you can check out at the counter whenever you’re ready. Have a nice night.” She picked up their empty plates before heading back to the kitchen. 

  
Alfred wished her the same as she left, while Ivan picked up the little checkbook. 

  
“Hey, it’s my turn to get the check,” Alfred protested, reaching across the table for the black booklet in Ivan’s hand. 

  
Ivan yanked his hand back from the blond’s reach. “ _Nyet_ , it is my turn, you paid last time.” 

  
“You say that every time!” He was practically lying on the table at the point, still reaching for the booklet. 

  
“You say that it is your turn every time.” Ivan batted his hand away, keeping the check out of reach. Eventually, Alfred sat back down with a pout. 

  
“Come on, Ivan,” he whined, “You always pay, let me.” He paused, then gave the other the most pitiful puppy face he could manage. “Please.” 

  
The Russian let out a little sigh before conceding. “Fine.” 

  
He held the checkbook out in front of him. The blond’s pout morphed into a victorious smile while he reached to grab the book but Ivan snatched it back up a second before the blond could grab it. Alfred gawked at him and looked ready protest but the other beat him to it. 

  
“But I’m getting the tip,” Ivan smirked and let him snatch the book out of his hand. 

  
“Fine by me,” he said, standing up to head over to the checkout. Ivan left a few bills on the table before following him to the counter. They paid at the front then headed back out into the town.  
The clouds overhead had cleared, but sun had gone down quite a bit while they were inside. Faint stars dotted the dark blue sky to the East, while pastel pinks and oranges and purples streaked it to the West. The last fading rays of sunlight were outshined by the bright white of car headlights and building lights. 

  
It was a bit more crowded right now, so the two of them stuck close to each other and the building walls lining the sidewalk. They followed the crowd to a crosswalk, waiting patiently for the light to turn. When they had crossed to the other side, Ivan looked over at the other. 

  
“Do you know what we need from the store?” he asked. 

  
“Uh, yeah, I got a list somewhere.” Alfred fiddled around in his pockets and pulled out a small scrap of paper. 

  
“How much do we need?” It would be inconvenient to walk all the way home with a carload of groceries. 

  
Alfred quickly scanned the list before replying. “Not much, just milk, eggs, sugar, and coffee.” 

  
Ivan hummed in acknowledgment as the made their way downtown towards the grocery store. A few blocks later, they arrived at a brightly lit store right on the corner of a busy intersection. Automatic doors slide open as they entered, closing behind them and shutting out the noisy street outside. The inside appeared bigger than the outside, but otherwise, the store was as ordinary and normal as can be. There was a large fruit section just to the left of the door, a meat and deli section in the back, and isles for frozen foods and drinks at the far right end. The two headed down one of the first isles. They had been there enough times to know where everything was. 

  
The store was mostly empty of people since most everyone was eating dinner at this time. Just a couple people here and there and some cashiers. The store was rather quiet aside from the faint pop music playing in the background. Alfred grabbed his coffee and Ivan grabbed the sugar, then they made their way to the next aisle. 

  
Right as the rounded the corner, a loud yelp was followed by a sudden crash. Ivan looked over at Alfred, his confusion matching his own, before turning to look down the aisle where the shout came from. In the middle of the aisle, there were two men, one looking down on the other disapprovingly and the other lying on the floor surrounded by cereal boxes. It looked like the fallen man had tried to grab a box from the top shelf, but ended up bringing half the shelf with him. The one on the floor had fair skin and pale blond hair that stuck straight up like he had used an entire jar of gel to spike it up. He looked up at the other and smiled broadly, despite his current position, and held up a cereal box triumphantly. 

  
“See, I told you I could get it,” he gloated cheerfully. Ivan couldn’t quite place his accent, but he reminded him of Alfred a little bit.  
The other man, a shorter blond with hair like Ivan’s, stared down at the other expressionlessly. 

  
“Yes, but you also got twelve other boxes,” he told him. Amethyst eyes widened slightly in shock. He knew he had heard that monotone voice before, but he could not quite believe his ears. Before he could stare any longer at the two men, Alfred tugged on his arm. 

  
“Come on,” he urged quietly, “we better move before we get caught staring.” His blue eyes shined with mirth and Ivan could tell he was suppressing his giggles. He stole one last glance toward the couple in the aisle, who were now picking up the fallen boxes, before following the tan blond to the refrigerated section. 

  
Once they were out of earshot, Ivan found his voice again. “Well, that was interesting.” 

  
Alfred finally let out the giggles he was desperately keeping in. “Dude, that was fucking hilarious,” he stated ever so elegantly. 

  
The more he thought about it, the funnier the scene became to Ivan. Soon he started giggling with him. It seemed the American's laughter was contagious. “It kind of seemed like something you would do, Alfred.” 

  
The blond glanced over at him, amusement still evident on his face. “What, you mean climbing the shelves?” 

  
“If it were to get something you could not reach, yes.” 

  
“If I want something from the top shelf, I'd just stand on your shoulders,” he stated confidently. 

  
“You think that is much safer than climbing the shelf?” Ivan looked at him curiously. 

  
“Yeah, of course it is,” he said, “I know you won’t let me fall.” 

  
Ivan stared at the blond beaming at him, slowly letting one of his genuine smiles spread across his face. 

  
“Besides,” Alfred stated suddenly, throwing his arm over Ivan’s shoulder, “if you did, I’d pull you down with me.” He pulled him down slightly before place a small kiss on the Russian’s cheek.  
Ivan felt his face heat up as he darted his eyes around, making sure no one was around to see them. He turned at glared at the smug blond next to him as he willed his face to cool down. 

  
“Damn, it seem cold in here to you?” Alfred asked suddenly. The super snapped out of his embarrassed daze, forcing himself to relax and return to normal. 

  
He cleared his throat before replying. “Well, we are in the frozen food section,” he stated. 

  
“Yeah, that’s true.” Alfred moved his arm from around his shoulders to his hand, walking close to him to steal his warmth. “Let’s just hurry up and get the cold stuff so we can get outta here.”  
Ivan quickly agreed, and they hurried through the store to get the rest of their items. They checked out without any more eventful scenes and finally headed home. 

  
The walk home was even more crowded than before. The sun had fully set and the noise of the city night had begun. Teens headed home from parties, couples had finished up dinner dates, and late workers waved over taxis to drive them home. 

  
Ivan and Alfred made it home quickly and uneventfully. They made their way up the stairs to their apartment. Ivan fished around in his pockets for the keys and unlocked the door. He took his shoes off by the door, while Alfred set the groceries on the counter. He hung his oversized coat on the coat-hanger, then headed into the kitchen to put away the groceries. When he set the milk and eggs in the fridge, Alfred leaned over and gave him another kiss on the cheek. Ivan glanced over at him curiously, but not nearly as embarrassed as before. He closed the fridge and walked over to the couch. He sat down with a great sigh, grabbing the remote and flipping on the TV. Leaning back, he settled down into the couch fully, happy to finally relax for the day.  
Ivan glanced up as he heard Alfred walk around the couch, sitting down next to him and cuddling up into his side. He put his arm around the honey blond and closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. 

  
Right as he was about to drift off, Ivan felt a soft hand caress his cheek and smooth lips press against the other. He opened his eyes lazily, moaning slightly as he was roused from his partial sleep. He turned his head and was met with yet another kiss, this time on his lips. 

  
Alfred had his head resting on his shoulder, looking up at him with sweet innocent eyes. He kept his hand on his face, stroking it softly with his thumb. 

  
“Why do you keep kissing me?” Ivan asked, slightly confused. Not that he minded the kisses. 

  
Alfred chuckled lightly. “Stubble.” He rubbed his hand over Ivan’s jaw to emphasize his point. “Feels nice,” the blond explained. 

  
Ivan reached up his own hand to run over his jaw. Sure enough, there was the faint scratchiness of stubble all over the Russian’s jaw. _I must have forgotten to this morning_ , he thought. 

  
“I do need to shave,” he thought aloud. 

  
“I wish you’d grow it out.” Alfred glanced up at him with hopeful, bright blue eyes. Ivan snorted at the display. Those puppy-dog eyes weren’t going to work this time. 

  
“Beards are too much work to keep,” he stated, leaving no room for argument. 

  
“They’re just as much work not to keep,” he argued anyway. 

  
“If you're so sure why don't you grow one,” he teased. 

  
The begging, sweet face quickly morphed into a small glare. “Shut up,” the blond huffed, crossing his arms in a pouty fashion. 

  
Ivan smiled innocently, holding in his giggles to spare the rest of his lover’s pride. He put his arm around his waist and pulled him closer to his side, thankfully without any resistance. They sat there peacefully for close to an hour, watching ridiculous home improvement shows and making fun of stupid commercials. 

  
Eventually, Alfred removed Ivan’s arm from his waist and stood up from the couch. “I’m gonna go take a shower,” he announced. 

  
“Alright,” Ivan replied, “don’t use up all the hot water.” He glanced at his watch while the other wandered into their shared bedroom. It was already 9:40. “And don’t take too long either,” he shouted after him, “I still want to take my shower.” 

  
“Yeah, yeah,” Alfred shouted back. 

  
Satisfied with his answer, he focused back on the TV, waiting for his turn in the shower. Not a minute later, though, Alfred came trotting back in, still fully clothed and dry. He held his head down, almost shyly, as he came up behind Ivan. 

  
“Hey,” he mumbled. “How ‘bout we just,” he paused awkwardly, “shower together.” 

  
The platinum blond raised his brows in surprise. The American blushed lightly, looking around the room nervously. While he may be more comfortable with PDA then Ivan, Alfred was still shy about being naked around him. Ivan just found it adorable. 

  
“That works for me.” He had to strain to keep his excitement out of his voice, but it must have slipped through anyway. 

  
“W-we’re just gonna shower and go to bed, alright.” The pink on Alfred’s cheeks became more red as he sputtered slightly. “I, um, still have to be at work tomorrow morning.” He fiddled with his hands, looking anywhere except at him. 

  
“Whatever you say, Fredka,” Ivan laughed, standing up from the couch and walking over to the blond. He put a hand under his chin, lifting up his head and forcing blue eyes to look at him.  
“You are an odd one,” he remarked. He leaned down towards him, pressing a deep kiss on his lips. 

  
Alfred still blushed lightly, smiling into the kiss before pulling away with a little laugh. “Yeah,” he smirked, “but you love me anyway,” he said before returning back to the kiss.  
Ivan hummed nonchalantly into the kiss, eagerly returning it. He moved his lips gently against the other’s, pressing slightly more against the shorter blond to dominate the kiss, before pulling apart. He grinned at the blond’s dazed face and headed into the bedroom to get a change of closes. Once he snapped out of his daze, the honey-blond followed quickly behind him, footsteps thudding against the floorboards. 

  
When Ivan walked into the bathroom connected to the bedroom, Alfred had already stripped off his shirt and started the shower. He couldn’t help but stare at the tan, muscular back as he unwound his scarf. He swiftly turned back around when looked back at him, distracting himself by taking off his own shirt. When he looked up in the mirror, however, he caught the other eyeing him up and down as well, before looking away completely red-faced. 

  
Ivan smiled contently as he finished disrobing. Nothing made him happier than to see Alfred like this: joyous, healthy, and without a care in the world. Life hadn’t always been this kind to him. Life for Alfred had once been pretty rough. And on Ivan too at times. 

  
When he had first met him, the cheerful blond had been a simple cashier, who happened to have the most beautiful smile Ivan had ever seen. As he started to get to know him, however, he found out just how hard life was for Alfred at that time. Living on minimum wage, the only place Alfred could afford was a rundown, shitty apartment with two other drunkard roommates. Having been living in borderline poverty since he was a teen, he was unable to attend college, and therefore had a hard time finding a second, better-paying job.  
Ivan, absolutely smitten with the sad blond, helped him find the second job he needed, calling in a favor from an old Japanese friend who owns one of the casinos uptown. After that, the two began seeing each other more and more. And the rest was history. 

  
Ivan was pulled out of his memories by a warm hand tugging at him. He let the other guide him into the shower, doing his best not to stare too much. They finished washing up, _much faster than if they had done it separately_ , Ivan thought, _and with plenty of hot water_. They dressed more slowly, stealing occasional glances at each other, and finished their nightly routine. Alfred had protested enthusiastically when Ivan began spreading shaving cream over his face but ultimately did not stop him. 

  
Afterword, Alfred went through the house, turning off the TV and all the lights, while Ivan climbed into bed and waited for him. He joined him shortly, crawling under the covers and snuggling up next to him. Ivan wrapped his arms around the smaller man, resting his chin on the slightly damp head as they both drifted off into sleep. 

**OoOoOoO**

Ivan was awakened by the sound of drawers opening and hurried footsteps stomping around the room. He cracked one eye opened to see Alfred out of bed, hastily getting dress and rushing around the room picking up his shoes and jacket. With a groan, he rolled over and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. _6:55 a.m_. Alfred didn’t need to be in until 8 usually. 

  
“Why are you up so early?” He questioned groggily, accent thicker than usual. “And why are you in such rush?” 

  
“I forgot my boss asked me to be in at 7 this morning,” he stated, struggling to shove his pants on. “Shit, I'm already late, he's gonna kill me.” Finally pulling his pants on, he snatched his keys and wallet off the dresser and bolted out the door, shouting “Bye, Ivan,” as he slammed the door behind him. 

  
Ivan sighed heavily and settled back down into bed, returning to his peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The endearment solnyshko should mean "Little Sun". I didnt use google translate so hopefully that's right.  
> And dear god, im sorry about the weird-ass spacing. THis damn website wont let me fix it, its either too damn big or no spacing at all. Like i literally spent an HOUR trying to fix this damn spacing on this chapter, but it just wont work right. I hope you guys dont mind :/ Anyway, other than that, i hope you enjoyed this fluffly mess, and i'll see you next time!


	5. AO3 is very messy

Hey this is just an announcement and a huge apology, but if you read my note at the start of the last chapter you probably already know this.  
AO3 for some reason doesnt publish the entire chapter whenever ive updated.  
Ive gone back through my story and noticed that the chapters keep cutting off really early for some reason.  
I'm not sure if this is my fault or just a glitch (but it publishes everything on wattpad so idk) but just so you guys know, ive gone back and added the text that was missing from the first few chapters.  
So i'd go back and reread the first few but its mostly just the 3rd chapter. Again, sorry about the inconvenience, im gonna be checking the text more closely whenever i publish it from now on.  
(i'll delete this within a month probably) bye guys <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody. I hope you all enjoyed the story. This is my first fan fiction but hopefully it'll all turn out good. I'm a slow updater, but don't worry, I'm gonna finish this if it kills me. Thanks for reading and comments are always appreciated.


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